Officials hope to improve Chambersburg Area School District's image

Chambersburg Area School District Administration Building off Stanley Avenue in Chambersburg
(Public Opinion/File)

CHAMBERSBURG - The Chambersburg Area School District has been at the center of water cooler talk for most of the month of March.

The conversations haven't necessarily been complimentary.

The district is attempting to gather information from district insiders and rehabilitate its image in the community through a series of surveys and action by a Virginia-based research firm, K12 Insight.

"K12 is about getting the silent majority and provide accurate data to make decisions within the short and long term," said Superintendent Joe Padasak.

District officials could be facing an uphill battle.

The arrest of CASHS teacher Jeffrey Schmutzler Thursday by U.S. marshals for allegedly distributing materials involving the sexual exploitation of minors was the most recent newsmaker in a busy 23 days for the district:

n The school board blocked the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance club at CASHS by 5-4 vote on Feb. 27. That prompted the threat of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania earlier this month, a threat that is still in place through this week's board meeting.

n The board also approved a personnel move that strips the assistant superintendent title from Cathy Dusman.

n A former after-school program director also filed suit against the district to uncover how money was spent on the program after a lengthy Right-to-Know battle over accessing information about the grant.

Advertisement

Going back over a year, the district also forced popular Principal Barry Purvis out of CASHS, ousted boys basketball coach Shawn Shreffler and instituted a new dress code policy.

Padasak hopes that the $25,000 the district will spend on the effort will help combat the negative response created from incidents such as those listed above.

A representative from K12 Insight visited the district last year and the board approved the surveys in October. The work started with February's student survey. It'll continue in April with a community survey.

"No decision is going to have 100 percent community support," said Padasak. "However, it is the hope that through this method, we will have a better view of the overall community. We are always going to have a vocal group who believe the district has made the wrong decision."

The community will soon have an opportunity to give more feedback to the district.

There will be seven surveys before the end of the school year aimed at students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. The district will also start tracking exit surveys by departing employees who are not retiring.

The first survey for students from sixth grade to 12th grade reached about 82 percent of the student population. Results will be available in about two weeks, according to Tammy Stouffer, director of support services.

"We didn't survey the elementary schools because (K12 Insight) found school disconnection usually happens at the secondary level - middle school and high school," said Stouffer. "We have a number of actions to get students engaged. We're hoping the survey helps us set some direction and make decisions in areas of focus that we need to be looking at."

Other surveys over the next few months will assess professional development needs for staff, community perceptions of the school climate, how well alumni are prepared for college and/or the work force, and facility needs based on projected enrollment.

The district hasn't announced a date to unveil the survey on the district's website - http://www.casdonline.org. The survey will accompany a new Your Voice section on the district's home page.

Community members hoping to lend their "voice" to personnel issues won't have the platform to speak to the board in public.

"Personnel issues are not public, debatable issues," said Padasak.

The public comment section at the March 13 meeting was filled with comments in support of Dusman - similar to the response on behalf of Shreffler nearly a year ago.

One of the purposes of the surveys is to allow the "silent majority" the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process.

"If you link what we're doing with K12 surveys and Your Voice, it's about reaching out to a broad base of people," said Stouffer. "(K12 Insight) talks about the silent majority - people who don't come to meetings or aren't vocal unless you reach out to them. It gives a mechanism for more stakeholders who have an important issue to share, but may not be comfortable in front of the board."

The district will not be conducting open forums. It has in the past on such important issues as elementary building closings, CASHS expansion, the opening of the Career Magnet School and school uniforms.

High participation in the uniform forum affected change. An initial policy that banned jeans and required all shirts to have collars was later watered down to allow jeans and plain-color T-shirts.

The district does not have an "open" Facebook page or a current Twitter account. Both social media formats can open lines of communication within a community.

The discourse may not matter to families moving into the area.

Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce President David Sciamanna concedes that fewer families contact the chamber personally these days because information is readily available online.

When families do contact the chamber, the questions stay basic and unique to the circumstance.

"With a family moving into the area, (the school district) is the No. 1 issue," said Sciamanna. "Everyone is different. Some people are looking at academics. Some people are looking at size. Others are looking at athletics and other opportunities. There's a myriad of things people evaluate."

At one time, Sciamanna said the chamber would send packets of information to about 20 families over several months. It's reduced to a handful over the same time period now.

What does the former school board member tell families inquiring about Chambersburg?

"I can share a lot of information," said Sciamanna. "It offers the most diverse student body. In athletics and academics, there's more opportunities in terms of overall offerings. You provide the most positive information you can about a district.

"What's most important to families is not a one-size fits all. It's as diverse as the community we live in."

----------

Brian Hall can be reached at 262-4811 and bkhall@publicopinionnews.com, or follow him on Twitter @bkhallpo.

Community speaks out with letters

Readers have sent letters over the last month about several topics related to Chambersburg Area School District. Here are a few excerpts from letters the Public Opinion has received:

"The most recent news of a teacher arrested for child pornography is just the latest example. Those who know how Superintendent Joe Padasak hires people at CASD know that the administration has eliminated sound hiring practices. Instead, Mr. Padasak selects candidates for jobs based on his desires, or those of his inner circle. Is an arrest like this a predictable consequence of hiring and promoting without scrutiny?" - James Dale, Chambersburg

"I was amused by the news story in which (school board President Stanley) Helman compared (Superintendent Joe) Padasak to a chief executive of a private-sector company. If a CEO of most any company was involved in as much controversy, negative publicity and lawsuit situations as CASD, he would not be CEO for long. But this is not a company's money being wasted, it is ours. Who suffers from CASD politics? The children we are trying to educate and our wallets." - Tom Portmann, Chambersburg

"Once again, the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania is sticking its nose where it does not belong. How dare it tell us what we want to put in our high school? I want to tell the Chambersburg school board 'great job' rejecting a Gay-Straight Alliance club. It should stick to what it believes." - Andrew L. Skupnick, Chambersburg

"(Assistant Superintendent) Cathy (Dusman) continues to strive to work with staff and parents in assuring the students in the CASD the best education possible. If our school district is to foster excellence above mediocrity, we need employees such as Cathy Dusman in the position where she can have the maximum effect on teachers and students. I respectfully ask the CASD school board to again consider her reassignment and return her to assistant superintendent with the duties that she had under that title and to renew her contract when it expires in August. We need Cathy Dusman in this school district!" - Robert A. Wareham Sr., Chambersburg

"Let me see: A winning, dedicated basketball coach is fired because a family cries - disregard what may be best for the team and the program. Federal law is ignored when denying establishment of a club - disregard what may be best for the students. A respected administrator is demoted. Now there are no women on the administrative team; now the team is a yes sir, good ol' boys group. Now the duties of the demoted individual are given to an administrator whose elementary schools are not scoring well." - Kaye Shearer Chambersburg

"Until the day when we are all accepted as beloved who are created in the image of God, I firmly believe that organizations such as the GSA need to exist to create safe space for those whom Jesus sheltered - the marginalized and oppressed." - The Rev. Melissa St. Clair, Fort Collins, Colo.

"I hope the school board displays courage in the face of this immorality permeating our country! And I hope the children that are being lied to regarding this behavior would seek and find a way out of it." - Joe George Chambersburg

Facebook readers

Our Facebook readers weighed in on what may ail Chambersburg Area School District and what the district can do to improve its relationships within the community.

Irene Dunlap-Jamison: "Stop doing what they want and start doing what's best for the kids!"

Dane Higbee: "The school district could improve by not making largely unpopular decisions, like adapting a strict dress code in a public school."

Jessica Melhorn: "Unfortunately the district may have already burnt too many bridges that are beyond repair. With the school board running amuck and making rash decisions without listening to the voters and community members how can we feel that voicing our opinion NOW will make a difference?"

Jennifer Lucas Pond: "If the Board is willing to replace Padasak with a superintendent who is actually pro-teacher, the community will respond favorably. I dare say that Cathy Dusman's wrongful termination coupled with Schmutzler's arrest and the issue of the Gay-Straight Alliance at CASHS has created a public relations nightmare for district officials. The Chambersburg voters need to elect pro-teacher members to the School Board. Enough is enough."

Elizabeth Lancaster: "A stakeholder is someone who affects or can be affected by an organization's actions. As a parent of an elementary school student, I would like to say CASD has been serving my daughter well. I believe she is receiving a quality education from people who genuinely care about her future. I think there needs to be more focus in the news on the positive attributes of CASD. That would certainly help boost the public opinion of CASD."

Michelle Taylor: "A good start would be by being trustworthy. The community, regardless of political background or level of education, does not trust this school district."

Breaking it down

Chambersburg Area School District has contracted with K12 Insight, a Virginia-based research and communications firm, to compile a series of surveys with district students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.

ODESSA, Texas (AP) — A West Texas man has been charged with impersonating an officer by using sirens and flashing lights to skip to the head of the drive-thru line at a fast-food restaurant. Full Story